So Tell Me ... What's The Weather Like on YOUR Planet?

28 December, 2007

Advertising Futures

I saw this billboard when I was doing the mad holiday travel and relatives-placating thing:

"SEX CAN WAIT. YOUR FUTURE CAN'T."

I just want to ... take it apart. Look at all the subtexts of this. What the hell makes this a good message?

I mean, off the top of my head, the metamessages I pull out of this are:


  • "Sex" and "Your Future" are in direct opposition; pursuing one precludes the other.

  • People who are interested in sex are frivolously discarding their futures.

  • "Your future" requires constant vigilance and attention; letting your eyes get off it means it will surely get away.

  • Sex is not a part of your future. Or, if it is, it happens somewhere in the distant not-to-be-thought-of parts thereof, presumably after the Sex Pixie magically bestows upon you the knowledge of how it works so you don't have to actually develop any skill or comprehension experientially. (Presumably, this is similar to how the Beer Fairy bestows knowledge of how to drink responsibly on the twenty-first birthday, when the taboo lifts.)

  • Sex will ruin or destroy you and your future.

  • It doesn't matter how much you want sex. That interest should be set aside For Your Own Good.

  • It doesn't matter how responsible and mature you are and how capable of making choices and evaluating risks. Just don't, your nebulously-defined existence will be placed at risk.


Why is any of this shit a useful message?

2 comments:

Keshwyn said...

*boggle*

Let's see. If I wait on sex...my future will get here at just the same rate as it will if I don't wait on sex. Oh, but the future might be *different* because of the choices I make.

...just like *any other choice*.

How very clever of the anonymous mind who thought up that sign! After all, how many people actually think about the fact that the choices they make impact their futures in any way at all? </sarcasm>

Meh.

Anonymous said...

Ick. Just... ick.